February 10, 2012

The Leafs got off to a start that no team wishes to start with but I tell ya it wasn't pretty. When you dig yourself a hole to deep, especially against a team like the Flyers, it's going to be a long night.

Though the score was close and the Leafs showed some grit and determination to get the score back to a respectable show it was that minute and 14 seconds in the 2nd period when the Flyers stormed ahead by two, breaking a 2-2 tie that the hole seemed to hard to dig out of.

Had the Leafs been as determined for the full 60 minutes as they were in the 3rd then it would have been a different story. But the Flyers came out in the first with a tremendous fore check scheme that baffled the Leafs and as the Leaf captain said," We let them dictate the pace of the game in the first" that my Leafs fans, says it all.

Opening the scoring in the 1st for the Flyers was Scot Hartnell with a quick snap shot that seemed to catch Reimer off guard.

In the 2nd is where all the fun began and then in a certain way it shows us all where the Leafs have some growing to do. Bozak scored his 1st of two this evening at just the :54 second mark but shortly after the Flyers went up again. On a power play goal at the 5:57 mark Jeffery Lupul fired home his 22nd to tie things up. Then that 1:14 seconds of a whirl wind happened where Giroux and Schenn scored to really put the game away as then the Flyers turned on the defence just allowing the Leafs to score (Bozak's 2nd) once and go into the third for the shut down.

Some additional notes with this game: Lupul hadn't scored 20 goals in a season since getting 25 for the Flyers in the 2008-09 season.

Kessel has nine points in four games.

The Leafs have killed four penalties and each of the last 28 power plays against them.

They haven't allowed a man advantage goal in 17 games.

The Leafs are back home on Saturday night to face the 3 game winning streak Canadians on what happens to be Matt Sundin Night where the Leafs are honouring their former captain, should be a fun evening of hockey.